OCCSC8...Ovals!

Being a very linear stamper, ovals are out of my comfort zone.  But, that's what challenges are for, right??  Here's where the OCC sketch challenge #8 took me:

Again, the mother quote is computer generated.  I knew I would try it with the oval die, so tried to space it accordingly.  The lighthouse is from SU.  I couldn't decide on a background panel...but hope this gives a "sandy" feel!   Below is the oval's "well rounded" cousin...the circle...in bordering blue!

 

Pastels - pink, purple and green...oh my!

Another set of challenges out of my comfort zone!  As soon as I saw Pastels as the theme over at The Pink Elephant, I remembered borrowing a beautiful CTMH butterfly set from my friend Anne.  At first, the large butterfly in the set really struck me like a butterfly tattoo that a woman could have tattooed across the small of her back...so who knows how I ended up "softening" them into a pastel card!!  I wanted to use chalks...but that went totally wrong.  Instead, I sponged on CTMH blush, petal and used a light green ribbon.  This way, the pastels are also meeting the requirements of the Color Chef challenge. 

Leaving the pastels behind...I had to finish one more Mother's day card that had a computer generated sentiment...and even a computer generated image!  It's a regular old MS Word clipart image with no color.  I just didn't have a good image to go with the quote...which I thought was too cute to pass up!

G is for Glitz....and for FTL 84!

On with the challenges...I had to try FTL 84 over at Clean and Simple Stamping.  I love when there are not a lot of layers to cut and adhere!  I was totally thinking something else when I remembered I could use Natasha's sketch and still incorporate the G is for Glitz week at the ABC Christmas Card Challenge.  (I make a LOT of Christmas cards and am so excited to have this challenge to keep me going as well as Christmas Cards All Year Round - who should be posting a new challenge for April this week!)  With the sketch, I tried to incorporate some silver (the "glitz").  The design on the CTMH ornament is embossed in silver, but it's not very sparkly...so I had to add some silver stickles to the punched border.  Great challenges to get your creative brain working!

Seems fitting when talking about CAS that I'll also post this VERY CAS Mother's Day card!  This is an angel from a very old SU set.  The computer generated quote says, "All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.  - Abraham Lincoln " 

Mojo Monday...Lite?

I tried the Mojo Monday sketch.  I love the finished products everyone posts!!!  What great inspiration.  However, I don't layer as much...so I made this on the "lite" side.  I left out that vertical panel down the middle.  I must say, though, I do love the little cloud background and the airplane!  Here's a closer look at the plane...not that it's any technique-y thing...I just thought it was cute!

Another Mother's Day card is posted below.  Not only am I not a real girly/flowery type stamper, I really don't have much as far as sentiments that say "Happy Mother's Day".  I think "I Love You" or any other thoughtful/loving sentiment would be fine...but I think others may be looking for those exact words.  So, anyway, this is my hybrid of that!  I found a lot of "mom" quotes online...and I incorporated them into the cards. 

Curtain Call - Act 23

In keeping with trying to get the mojo flowing again, it's challenge time!  I think I looked up all the challenges I could today and made notes and jotted sketches, etc.  I want to post a few but will also apologize for the pictures first!  I wanted to take them in front of a window with natural light, but all windows in our house today were filled with gray clouds and rain!  Boo! 

Here's my take on Stacey's Curtain Call Colors.  I LOVE those colors and the inspiration picture.  I think I may have stuck too close to the inspiration...as soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to use the Damask Designs set from PTI to make that wallpaper background panel.

I was asked to make some Mother's Day cards for a small craft show at one of our local hospitals.  Thing is, i'm not a flowery stamper.  YIKES.  I also know that what I would make my own Mother isn't exactly the kinds of things others would buy.  I'd make her something about gardening...but it doesn't have to SAY "happy Mother's day" on it to be a Mother's Day card.  But, I digress...I'm trying and I'll post a few here as they get done. 

This one was an attempt at a beautiful card I saw on Maille Belles blog, Simply Stamped. 

It's slowly coming back...thank goodness!

The stamping mojo, that is!  I checked Mary Jo's blog for her Monday lunchtime sketch (I know it's SUNDAY, but like I said...I've been creatively "out of it" all week!)  and I had to run and try it.  This is a mix up of all of the ideas that swam around in my head this week, but never made it out onto paper!  I have been seeing orange/green/blue combos lately.  I LOVE THEM - considering my favorite colors are earth tones!  And I got some new blue ribbon (it's wide so I wasn't sure what to do with it) that totally fit this sketch!  (Remind me to tell you later about my new favorite place on earth - besides wherever stamps are sold!  Hint:  ribbon at discount prices!!  wuhoo!!)  Lastly, a friend at work (thank you, Emily) cleaned out her stamping supplies because she has no time to craft.  She gave me a whole box (like Christmas morning, I tell you!) and I found these cute little flip flops inside.  There were a lot of supplies I already had, so I passed them along to another friend that's just starting her lifelong obsession  addiction  sickness  hobby.  Anyway, I moved my scallops on over to the side and I ended up with this:

I stopped by my new favorite place on earth...the Offray Ribbon OUTLET.   YES, there is such a thing.  Near here, the Offray Ribbon company has a manufacturing plant, and extras, oops-es and overages make it into their little outlet store.  It's like going to Michaels with 8,000  40% off coupons and getting to use EVERY ONE at check out!  I'm thinking of sharing my good-ribbon-fortune (and there's lots of it) on my Etsy site (which I haven't updated in FOREVER)...anyone interested?  I'm thinking 4 or 5 yard lengths, priced depending on type of ribbon and whatever great price it happened to be.  I know I wanted every spool I found...but I'm HAPPY to share!!  I'll keep thinking it through and let you know!  I'm so happy to know about this, because I use ribbon on almost every card and I don't like when I have to think, "should I use it...it's so expensive..." This ribbon solves that problem...using INSTEAD of hoarding...what a novel idea! 

Where, oh where, has my mojo gone?

Wow...last blog activity was March 15!  The big lag in posting?  We went to a 4 day (yes, 4!) scrapbooking get-a-way!  You would think this is a good thing...but it's having the opposite effect on me.  I totally enjoyed my time with my friend, Anne...but cleaning up, organizing and packing up all of your crafting goodies to take with you puts a dent in your creativity "flow."  (at least, it does in mine!)   And then, all of your goodies that you NEED after you get there - are home in the cabinets where you stashed them all because you were SURE you WOULDN'T NEED them when you got to the crop!  :) 

Then you pack it all up again and getting it all back out of the car to start stamping at home (I finished 2 event scrapbooks and stamped and colored a ton of images at the crop) I just didn't have the energy.  So it all sat there ALL WEEK.  UNHEARD OF!!  I'm hoping next week will be better...but it's Spring Break.  Kids at home!!

I was able to do at least one challenge this weekend.  A new challenge blog over at Picture Perfect Creations.  Megan is also looking for crafters (any craft will do!  love that!) to be members of her newly forming design team.  This weeks challenge was a color challenge...eggplant, pink and so saffron.  I have a bad "relationship" with purple as it is...so throwing it into the mix like that threw me...but I gave it a shot.  And I actually ended up likeing it.  I think it actually looks better irl.

I need to get going on a baby girl card...those new neighbors I made the welcome card for...they have a new baby girl!  How exciting.  I also found out that another two teachers at our school are expecting!  Wow!  As I said before...I'm not drinking any water that comes from that school!  Enjoy the rest of the week!